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Court Sends “Babalawo” To Jail For N2.5m Fraud (photo) - Crime

Justice A. B. Mohammed of the High Court of the Federal Capital
Territory sitting in Jabi, Abuja, on Monday, July 2, 2018 convicted one
Bala Tangalu, a self styled native doctor also known as ‘Babalawo’ on
the two counts of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence brought
against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Tangalu
was arrested and charged to court on February 22, 2017 following a
petition by one Dozie Ugonna that the defendant and his cohorts
defrauded him to the tune of N2.5million.

According to the
petitioner, the money was meant for the purchase of materials to
neutralize some harmful charms purportedly contained in a carton filled
with US dollars.

In a judgment which lasted almost an hour, Justice Mohammed found Tangalu guilty as charged. Citing Section 352 (5) of the ACJA, 2015, the judge said,

“The suspect is hereby convicted on the two counts of conspiracy and
obtaining by false pretence. He will be sentenced whenever he surrenders
himself to the court or he is been arrested”

The defendant and
his counsel had in the course of trial abandoned the case after several
adjournments, forcing the court to order the trial to continue in his
absentia.

Justice Mohammed said the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubts adding that “all evidence adduced before the court was unchallenged by the defendant and his counsel”.

The
judge said, “based on the evidences by the complainant; confession by
the suspect; reports by the office of the Directorate of State Services,
DSS; and the EFCC; the prosecution has proved its case beyond
reasonable doubts”.